[nabs-l] Blind Majority

Sun Mar 20 04:34:19 UTC 2011

to tell you the truth, I always feel  a little uncomfortable  when
people compare the nfb to  the african -american civil rights
movements.
 Reason being is that  the tremendus harm that came to blacks, and the
people that dared to ally with them over time, the racial tention,
seperation from culture, seperation from  their haritage, the need to
reclaim those things was so huge that  the need to combine efforts,
work together was so important, because they had so much taken away
from  them and denied, as well as the lives lost by just speaking up
with awisper.  So,  personally, while I absolutely get what you are
and arn't saying (at least I think I do), I still think those are
different situations in the end.  but to the topic at hand, the
majority issue wouldn't be an issue because of the racial tention that
dominated the time.

On 3/18/11, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
> To all,
>   The constitution makes sense to me.  Maybe chapters needing
> exceptions (as in Miranda's case) could apply for a waver with the
> state board, which would need to aprove with at least a two thirds
> majority, or something like that.  We're the National Federation of
> the Blind, after all, not the National Federation for the Blind.  I
> wouldn't change the constitution, except to maybe ammend it for the
> state board to aprove exceptions for local chapters.
>   Best,
> Kirt
>
> On 3/18/11, Serena Cucco <serenacucco at verizon.net> wrote:
>> Well put, Darian.
>>
>> Serena
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf
>> Of Darian Smith
>> Sent: Friday, March 18, 2011 5:14 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Blind Majority
>>
>> Hi all,
>>  As you all may well know, every state affiliate, state
>> chapter/division,  national division and  even the national board it's
>> self requires that  the majority of it's members and  members of board
>> of directors and officers be  blind,  except that  in the case of the
>> parents division, that requirement was waved.
>>
>>  I think that that requirement should be kept in place, but that we
>> should look to recruit sighted members into our  organization.
>> The recruitment of these members should not be utilized as nor viewed
>> as a reason to back- peddle on our    philossophical views on
>> blindness, but  to better educate and strenthin our cause and belieffs
>> in our ability to  collectivly act as blind people, and our ability to
>> work with sighted folks who believe in what we do.
>>
>>  my view of any movement, and of any organization that  is a part of
>> or fuels a movement, is that while they  may have an ethnic, gender,
>> or other such majority, they also have a minority of people who
>> believe in the cause in just  the same way the  majority does.  This
>> is a very healthy thing, to me.
>>
>>   just some thoughts,
>>   Darian
>>
>> On 3/18/11, Jorge Paez <jorgeapaez at mac.com> wrote:
>>> Completely agree with the constitution.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mar 18, 2011, at 4:50 PM, Joe Orozco wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dear all,
>>>>
>>>> I always knew that the executive positions on any NFB chapter, affiliate
>>>> or
>>>> division board had to be blind.  I did not, however, know that this
>>>> majority
>>>> rule also applies to the general membership of these organizations.  It
>> is
>>>> my understanding that at least 51 percent of the membership has to be
>>>> blind
>>>> and that this provision was primarily included to prevent sighted people
>>>> from taking over the organization.  I can see how this would have made
>>>> since
>>>> in the organization's early beginnings, maybe even during the 60's, but
>>>> seeing as how the provisions survived the 1986 ratification and is still
>>>> on
>>>> the books today, I am curious to hear what you think as the up and
>>>> coming
>>>> generation of leaders.  Is it necessary to guarantee a predominantly
>> blind
>>>> organization through constitutional provisions, or should we be allowed
>> to
>>>> bring in sighted people interested in membership to further promote our
>>>> cause?  I have my thoughts on the subject, but I'm curious to hear your
>>>> views.  The NFB constitution provisions read as follow:
>>>>
>>>> "Section C. State affiliates shall be organizations of the blind
>>>> controlled
>>>> by the blind. No organization shall be recognized as an "organization of
>>>> the
>>>> blind controlled by the blind" unless at least a majority of its voting
>>>> members and a majority of the voting members of each of its local
>> chapters
>>>> are blind."
>>>>
>>>> ...
>>>>
>>>> "Any organized group desiring to become a state affiliate of the
>>>> National
>>>> Federation of the Blind shall apply for affiliation by submitting to the
>>>> president
>>>> of the National Federation of the Blind a copy of its constitution and a
>>>> list of the names and addresses of its elected officers. Under
>>>> procedures
>>>> to
>>>> be
>>>> established by the board of directors, action shall be taken on the
>>>> application. If the action is affirmative, the National Federation of
>>>> the
>>>> Blind shall
>>>> issue to the organization a charter of affiliation. Upon request of the
>>>> national president the state affiliate shall provide to the national
>>>> president
>>>> the names and addresses of its members. Copies of all amendments to the
>>>> constitution and/or bylaws of an affiliate shall be sent without delay
>>>> to
>>>> the national
>>>> president. No organization shall be accepted as an affiliate and no
>>>> organization shall remain an affiliate unless at least a majority of its
>>>> voting members
>>>> are blind. The president, vice president (or vice presidents), and at
>>>> least
>>>> a majority of the executive committee or board of directors of the state
>>>> affiliate
>>>> and of all of its local chapters must be blind. Affiliates must not
>> merely
>>>> be social organizations but must formulate programs and actively work to
>>>> promote
>>>> the economic and social betterment of the blind. Affiliates and their
>>>> local
>>>> chapters must comply with the provisions of the constitution of the
>>>> Federation."
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>>
>>>> Joe
>>>>
>>>> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their
>> sleeves,
>>>> some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Darian Smith
>> Skype: The_Blind_Truth
>> Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
>> Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace
>>
>> "The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
>>
>> - Robert Byrne
>>
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-- 
Darian Smith
Skype: The_Blind_Truth
Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace

"The purpose of life is a life of purpose.

— Robert Byrne